Work Work Work Work Work... or Not: A Student’s Guide to Disconnecting From Work

“Divest from capitalism & lay down somewhere” 

These were the wise words from the Nap Ministry’s Rest Deck (https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/) staring back at me while I was sitting in my office one morning.

Photo by Daniel Newman via Unsplash

At first, the advice felt ridiculous, grandiose, and impossible to follow. After all, stepping away from work, or school, is often easier said than done. 

"Lay down somewhere" sounded less like a life-changing epiphany and more like the kind of advice your unemployed friend gives you at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday.

As students, our lives are centered around 11:59 pm deadlines, hastily working down to the second before submitting an assignment, and constantly racing from one responsibility to the next. Before you know it, you're setting an alarm, going to sleep thinking about tomorrow's to-do list, and waking up to do it all over again.

Lay down somewhere they said, what utter nonsense. 

Who has the time to lay down when there’s always another deadline approaching, your boss or group members waiting for an email back or when you’re simply trying to make progress on your thesis. Productivity often feels less like a choice and more like an obligation; rest ultimately feels like something we earn after everything is finished. Except, everything is never really finished. 

Why does it feel like this and what can you do? Let’s talk about it.

Always-On Culture

Always on Culture is an environment in which you feel as if you’re always on the clock, and it’s not your fault! We live in a world where constantly being productive and available has become the norm (Cheng, 2021). Thanks to electronic devices and endless notifications, work and school expand beyond the confines of the classrooms, offices, or designated working hours; they tend to creep their way into our evenings and weekend plans.

Productivity may feel like a badge of honor; however, constantly staying busy may create a belief that rest must be earned or justified as opposed to a necessary part of well-being (Walker, 2023). This default setting of constantly being ‘on’ can lead to higher stress levels and burnout (Marenus et al., 2022), impeding your mental health and productivity.

Where Disconnecting Matters

Detaching from work (schoolwork, employee work, etc.) during non-work times is critical to our psychological well-being as it decreases exhaustion, depressive symptoms, sleep problems, all while increasing life satisfaction (Marenus et al., 2022). Disconnecting during non-work times is also linked to better well-being and job performance. 

Tips to disconnect from work 

Disconnecting from work outside of working hours doesn’t mean disappearing or becoming unresponsive; rather, it’s about the small, intentional boundaries you set to protect your wellbeing. 

Here are a few ways to help you get started: 

• Take real breaks: eat, rest, and fully step away from work during break time. 

  • This may include leaving Stauffer and getting outside for some fresh air, eating something that isn’t Tim’s, or imagining you’re living in a time before you had your laptop and discovering what Cogro was. Use Cogro for what it’s best at: coffee & chats with friends rather than Stauffer 2.0.

• Avoid “work-adjacent” tasks during rest (e.g., don’t check emails or do similar academic/employee tasks like “just reading” work/school items) 

  • (no “I’ll just check onQ one more time” – we all know this can turn into a 2-hour spiral)

• Do something unrelated during breaks (walk, read, listen to music/podcasts, etc.)

  • Walk by the pier, pop by the Health Promotion office and grab a free snack, go see friends and so many other things!

• Schedule protected “offline” time in your calendar and treat it as non-negotiable

  • Pretend this is like a mandatory tutorial you can’t skip- block off this time in outlook/google calendar and defend it with your life.

• Use reminders, timers, or calendar blocks to step away from work 

How to set healthy boundaries to your employers

Whether your working full-time, part-time, or TA-ing, here are some ways to set boundaries:

• Avoid responding to messages or emails outside your scheduled hours whenever possible

• Set “response time” expectations (e.g., “I’ll reply within 24–48 hours during weekdays”)

• Speak up if workload regularly spills beyond your assigned hours

Quick email template to follow: Hi! Just a quick note that I’m available to respond to emails/messages between ___ and ___. I’ll make sure to get back to anything sent outside those hours within 24–48 hours. Thanks!” 

If you’re a student trying to step away from academics

• Separate “work space” from “rest space” when possible (bed = not assignment zone) 

• Turn off notifications during breaks or evenings so you’re not constantly pulled back in 

• Plan rest like you plan study time—it doesn’t need to be earned

  
  

Quick message templates to follow:

• “I’m taking a work-free evening, I’ll catch up on messages tomorrow :)” 

• “I’m not free at the moment, I’ll take a look [time/day]”

If life starts feeling like an endless loop of Rihanna’s song Work, then learning to disconnect becomes critical. Or, if all else fails, take the Ministry of Rest Deck’s advice and lay down somewhere, preferably away from your inbox and onQ.

References

Cheng, A. (2021, April 26). What is “always-on” culture and how does it impact work? RingCentral. https://www.ringcentral.com/us/en/blog/what-is-always-on-culture-and-how-does-it-impact-work/

Marenus, M. W., Marzec, M., & Chen, W. (2022). Association of Workplace Culture of Health and Employee Emotional Wellbeing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12318. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912318

Sonnentag, S., & Fritz, C. (2007). The Recovery Experience Questionnaire: Development and validation of a measure for assessing recuperation and unwinding from work. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12(3), 204–221. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.12.3.204

Walker, L., Braithwaite, E. C., Jones, M. V., Suckling, S., & Burns, D. (2023). “Make it the done thing”: an exploration of attitudes towards rest breaks, productivity and wellbeing while working from home. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 96(7), 1015–1027. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-023-01985-6 Western University. (2022). Disconnecting From Work. Www.uwo.ca. https://www.uwo.ca/hr/safety/well_being/disconnecting.html